Shadowed Waters
by frostedbloodinthedark
Summary: Shadeclan is great danger. Can Mudpaw, a petty apprentice, save it? FIND OUT {Lemons later on}
1. Prolouge

Shadowed Waters

PROLOUGE

A tabby she-cat walks through a sparkling forest. A soft mew sounds behind her.

"Dawnstar," Dawnstar spins around to see a tabby she-cat, much like her self, but much smaller.  
"Brackenpaw!" She runs to the cat, pressing her muzzle into her tabby fur.

"A great danger is coming to Shadeclan." Brackenpaw whispers, fading until her scent was the only thing left.

"_Before you are safe, a hawk's claw will shadow the water." _Her voice echoes in Dawnstar's ears. Her eyes widen, and the world goes black.

**A.N. sorry it's so short!**


	2. Chapter 1

Shadowed Waters Chapter 1

Mudpaw rests her small brown head on her paws, her amber eyes narrowed, watching the dark camp. The sounds of her denmates,Greypaw and Bramblepaw, sleeping beside her comforts her, but a stab of grief prevents her from sleeping. Her sister, Ivypaw, had gone missing a moon ago when she had went hunting alone. They had traced her scent to the Breezeclan border, and it disapeared suddenly. Crow-wing, thier mother had refused to admit her daughter was dead, and searched with her only kit. Mudpaw's eyes get heavy with sleep and she gives in.

_Mudpaw scents the air, smelling the sweet scent of her sister. She follows the scent, and realises she is in Breezeclan's territory. She reaches the camp, and creeps past the frozen guard. A single den sits in the clearing, a grey tom sitting infront of the small entrance. She brushes past him, wincing, but he dosen't move. In a ragged nest of leaves a skinny tabby is curled in a tight ball. Through the rank scent of hunger, sickness, and fear, Mudpaw detects the familiar scent. Ivypaw! And she was alive!_

Bramblepaw's meow cuts into her dream. The tom stands above her, his green eyes blurry with sleep.

"We're late for training!" Greypaw's nest is empty, the she-cat must already be out in the clearing. Mudpaw stands and streches. She pads out to the clearing, the sun's glare blinding her for a heartbeat, and she blinks. Bramblepaw's mentor, and Mudpaw's mother, Crow-wing looks as tired as Mudpaw feels. The deputy, Blackheart paads up.  
"Dawnstar is busy today, so she asked me to look after your training." The black she-cat purrs. the deputy was always fond of Mudpaw and her sister.  
"I know where Ivypaw is!" Mudpaw blurts, not able to keep it in any longer. Treeroot, Ivypaw's mentor, pricks his ears, leaping to his paws from his place beside the fresh-kill pile.  
"Really? Let's go!" Dawnstar pads out from her den.

"Hold on, Treeroot," The tabby turns to her apprentice, her head tipped to the side, her blue eyes clouded with curiousity. "Where Mudpaw?"

"In the Breezeclan camp!" She explains her dream, and Hawkheart, a tabby warrior leaps up, the half-eaten sparrow at his paws forgotten.

"Well, what are we waiting for! Those rabbit-eaters don't stand a chance against us!" His blue eyes are bright with excitement, and Mudpaw has a feeling that he wanted to battle an enemy clan more than getting his brother's missing apprentice back. Dawnstar shakes her head.  
"We are just going to their camp, and ask if Heatherstar can return Ivypaw." Her gaze slides over her warriors.  
" Blackheart,Leafbelly,Crow-wing,Treeroot, Greypaw, Mudpaw, and Bramblepaw, follow me." She slides out of the camp, her patrol darting after her. They run through the moors, Mudpaw leading the way, and they reach the ridge over looking the camp, when the tom Mudpaw saw in her dream, spots them, and vanishes back into the camp. Soon, Heatherstar, a small tabby, and a few other warriors come out, their eye narrowed.

"Dawnstar! Why are you here? And with so many warriors?"

"You have one of our apprentices." The bigger tabby steps forward.  
"She went over the bordor, stole our prey, killed it, continued hunting, and had a pile of prey when a patrol found her."

"She was just apprenticed!"

"She needs to be punished." The small tabby's green eyes flash with rage.

"Oh, she will be punished when we get her back. Now, let us get her, and we'll be on our way."

The two she-cats stare at each other for a few heartbeats, then the smaller curtly nods and steps aside. Dawnstar and her cats are led to the den, and Mudpaw runs ahead, and sees Ivypaw shakily get up, and runs to greet her sister, pushing her muzzle into her stinking fur.

"I missed you!" She murmurs. She wraps her tail around her sister's shoulder, supporting her, leading her out of the camp, ignoring the glares of the Breezeclan warriors. At the camp, She claws through the small fresh kill pile, picking out the plumpest mouse she could find, carrying it to Ivypaw, and starts to gently wash her pelt. When her sister's pelt is cleaned, she pads over to the pile again, taking a thrush for her self. As she settles down again beside he sister, te medicine cat comes over with a bundle clutched in her mouth. She sets it in front of Ivy paw, unfolding the large leaf.

"Eat these."

"What are they for?" Ivypaw's voice was cracked from disuse.  
"I smelt your sickness from my den before you even came into camp."  
"Thanks Maplewhisker." Mudpaw pauses from her meal to thank the ginger she-cat. She flicks her ears and turns.  
"Have you seen Sagefur? She was supposed to be back with the catmint I wanted by now." She shakes her head, finishing her meal. She turns around to see her mentor and Treeroot standing behind the two she-cats.

"We have been talking and you two have been training for 4 moons now, and we think you two should be made warriors. We are going to have a tournament with the other apprentices, and if it goes well, you'll all get your warrior names."

"Even Ivypaw?" Mudpaw asks, jumping to her paws.

"Yes, and Bramblepaw too."

"What about Graypaw?"

"She got her name four sunrises ago, she's still too young. Now, go find Bramblepaw and meet us at the training swamp."

Ivypaw gets up, and heads to the apprentices den.  
"I'll check in here." At her paws, the herbs lie half-eaten.  
"But your herbs!" She glances at them and bends her head, lapping the rest up quickly.  
"Check in the elder's den." She calls over her shoulder. Mudpaw hurries to her bush where the elders made their den. She pushes her head through the is rooting through Yellowflower's nest, picking out bits of moss and feathers. A small pile beside the entrance told Mudpaw he had already done Goosefur's nest. The grey tom is curled up in his fresh nest. The apprentice notices Mudpaw. He picks up the bundle of used moss. He pads over and drops it at her paws.

"Our mentors say we're getting our warrior names tonight." The tom's tail shoots up in happiness.

"Let me finish Yellowflower's nest." He trot over to the ginger she-cat agian, and pushes in fresh moss to her nest. He picks up the used moss and pads into the clearing. Mudpaw follows him as he drops it beside the dirt-place tunnel. Ivypaw was waiting by the tunnel leading out of the camp, her paws workiing the ground. They pad over.

"Come on, let's go!" She races into the forest without waiting for the others. They looks at eachother and shoot after her. They reach the swamp before her and waiting with their mentors. Crow-wing trots into the swamp, followed by her daughter. They all pad to the mossy bed at the edge of the swamp,and Dawnstar stand infront of the three young cats.

"Okay, here are the rules. Two cats will face off eachother. The first to be knocked off here, or pinned down loses. The winner fights the remaining cat. Ivypaw and Bramblepaw, your up first. The winner will fight Mudpaw." They nod and replace the tabby she-cat. They stand a tail-length apart, and Bramblepaw crouches, his eyes flicking around Ivypaw, sizing her up and deciding where to hit. His eyes land on her shoulders but he launches at her paws, swiping them from under her. She hits the ground with a thud. She regains her paws as he charges again, but she slips under him, pushing up, sending him flying. He lands at the edge of the mossy bed. He scrambles to his paws and jumps to the side as Ivypaw races toward him. Her narrowed eyes become huge in surprise as she skids over the edge, landing in the mud of the swamp.

"I say, Ivypaw, your haven't lost your touch." Bramblepaw pants, sitting down. Mudpaw pads up, facing her tabby friend. He was tired. unlike her, but he was stonger, but she was faster. They pace aroun eachother, and Mudpaw takes no time. She races at him, jumping on him. The whirl around in a mass of fur. They jump away from eachother, and Mudpaw slips around him, biting down on his tail, dragging him backwards. He yowls and swipes at her face with stheathed paws. She grabs his out streched paw and swings her head around, grunting with the effort. She lets go as his hindpaws connect with her belly, knocking the breath from her. Bramblepaw grabs her scruff before she could catch her breath and shakes his head violently. He lets go, and she staggers, shaking her head. Bramble paw slams into her, knocking her off her paws, but she slips away before he could plant his paws down on her. She pushes him, since the were close to the edge, and they both fall. She unsheathes her claws, digging them into the soft ground to stop her from following Bramblepaw over the edge. She sits up, panting as she watches Bramblepaw clean his tabby pelt.

"The winner for this round is Mudpaw!" They all look at Dawnstar.

"Round?" Mudpaw asks, confused.

"Didn't I mentoin that there was four events? Fighting, Climbing, Speed, and Hunting!"  
"No, you didn't!" Ivypaw meows.

"Well, the next event is Climbing! Follow me!" They reach a tall pine tree, the first branch about four fox-lengths from the ground.

"The first cat to reach-" She climbs it quickly, reaching the fifth branch."this branch wins. Begin!" Mudpaw lauches herself at the trunk, clawing her way up, sending down a shower of bark at Ivypaw.

"Hey! Watch it!"  
"Sorry!" Mudpaw reaches the first branch and scoots along it, jumping up, and grabbing the second branch. The third branch was too high above her head so she jumps to the trunk again and claw up. Ivypaw and Bramblepaw were just hitting the second branch as she reaches the fourth branch. She gathers her haunches and times seems to slow down as she jumps, and her hind paws dangle in the air as she scarbles at the wet bark from the rain last night. Dawnstar grabs her scruff and hoists her up.  
"Mudpaw wins again!" Mudpaw climbs down.

"Next up is Speed! We start at this tree and the first to reach the lake wins!" They could here the water lapping the shore from where they stood. The three apprentices now stand alone with Dawnstar. Treeroot and Crow-wing were waiting by the shore to see who stand side by side. Dawnstar raisies her tail, the white tip unnaturally bright.

"Start!" Mudpaw races off into the trees, leaping over gullies. Bramblepaw runs beside her, and she speeds up, leaving him behind. The lapping becomes louder and she breaks out of the trees the same time as Ivypaw. Crow-wing and Treeroot wait by the water. Bramblepaw soon follows. Mudpaw presses forward, wanting to win. Ivypaw shoots past her, pelting into the water. Mudpaw follows her, and Crow-wing calls.

"Ivypaw wins! The next and final event:Hunting! The cat with the most prey wins!" Mudpaw pushes her way through the trees lightly. She spots a mouse and quickly kills it, and a vole pratically leaps into her claws. She buries them and pinpoints a soon finds it nibbling a seed and kills it. She catches two more mice, a blackbird, and a thrush on her way back to the shore. Ivypaw and Bramblepaw are already there. Bramblepaw has a mouse, vole and a blackbird. IVypaw only has a small vole. "Mudpaw wins!" Treeroot calls, looking at the small pilke of prey. Daenstar pads up.

"The ceremony is at sunset. Mudpaw, take your fresh-kill to the elders and then rest up, remeber, your guarding the camp tonight.

**MUDPAW POV**

I'm woken to Bramblepaw prodding my side.

"Wake up! Dawnstar just called the meeting." I strech and pad after him, sitting at the front of the crowd.

"Today I have the honor of saying these words in the sight of my warrior ancestors. Mudpaw, step forward." I press against Bramblepaw one last time and pad to the foot of the rock we use to meet.

"You are fast, lithe and a good fighter and hunter. May Moonclan hear my words and approve of this name I am about to bestow on you. You are now known as Mudpelt." I lift my muzzle as my former mentor jumps down, and licks me on the head. I lick the tabby on the shoulder and pace back beside Bramblepaw.

"Bramblepaw, step forward. You are strong, swift, a good hunter and fighter. May Mooncaln approve of this name. You will now be known as Bramble-ear." Bramble-ear licks his leader on the shoulder, and runs back to me. I push my muzzle into his thick fur. I hear my sister callen and look to see her step towards her leader.

"You are brave, and you have expierinced hard-ships no cat could have imagined. You survived a moon away from your clan and still stayed loyal to your kin and clanmates. I thank you for that, and Shadeclan will always honour you for that. You will know be know as Ivyheart." She licks my sisters head. The clan calls our names.

"Mudpelt, Bramble-ear, Ivyheart!" I look back at my mother. Her black muzzle is lifted up towards the darkening sky, and wonder if shes telling our dead father, Sunfur. Bramble-ear pushes his muzzle into my fur, and twines his tail with mine. The clearing slowly empties and we sit by the entrance. I smell a fishy scent that is familiar._ What is it?_ Bramble-ear looks at me, tasing the air, and I know he smells it too. I realise just as the first warrior slips into the camp, slicing at Ivyheart.

"Streamclan!" I yowl.


	3. Chapter 2

Shadowed Waters Chapter 2

**MUDPELT POV**

"Streamclan!" I yowl, and a heavy tabby warrior bowls into me, pushing me over. I hear my clanmates rushing out of their dens, but I'm occupied with the tabby. I struggle, My hindlegs flailing, but I only dislodge fur on his hindquarters. Suddenly the weight is off my chest and I see Crow-wing hissing at the Streamclan tom.

"Get off my daughter, fish-breath!" I hear Dawnstar's yowl.

"Theres too many of them!" Suddenly my former mentor is beside me. "Mudpelt, go to Cloudclan to ask Stormstar for reinforcements!" She orders. I nod briskly and shoot out of the camp. Fear sparks in my chest. _Why are they here? We haven't done anything to them... I hope Bramble-ear is okay._ I race over the border, my chest heaving. _What if I'm too late?_ I reach their camp, and stumble in. The cat on guard hisses at me and pins me down.

"Shadeclan! Shadeclan ambush!" The clan is out of their dens, and Stormstar is their, looking around.

"No!" I gasp. "You need to help us! Streamclan has attacked our camp!" The black warrior that is holding me down lets go. Stromstar looks alarmed.

"Grayfur,Blackear, Sweetgaze, Amberpaw, follow me!" She turns to the black tom.  
"Stoneclaw, take Daisypaw, Starflower, Moonshine, and Sunpelt." He nods. They follow me, and when we reach the camp, I still hear the yowls of battle. I lead them in. Stoneclaw swipes at a tortiseshell she-cat, the the fresh warriors disperse into the battle.

When all the cats had fled, Stormstar gathers her warriors. The gray she-cat nods to Dawnstar.

"We better be getting home." They file out of the camp. Yellowflower lies limp by the nursery. I pad over and prod her.

"Shes dead." I croak. No one seems to hear. I raise my voice. "Yellowflower is dead." The cats look up. Jaywhisker, Yellowflower's apprentice, wails and races over to her dead former mentor, leaving her kits behind.

"Momma? Where are you going?" I hear thir pitiful cries, and I pad over, and comfort them.

"It's okay kits, she's just grieving." I wrap my tail around the shivering litter. Frostkit, the smallest, a white she-kit, looks up with big amber eyes. Bramble-ear limps over, and prsses his muzzle to my cheek. I look up at a greif-striken wail. Ivyheart is standing over a limp, black body.

"No..." I whisper, racing to my sister's side. Crow-wing stares sightlessly up at the skies, unmoving. A long slash runs along her side, and blood oozes from it. I bury my muzzle into her cold fur, the last time I saw her alive playing over and over in my head. _Who did this? Was it that tabby? No, I saw her after that. I know I did._ I turn at my sister's mew.

"I saw it." I growl.  
"Who was it?! I want to rip ther throat out!"

"It..it was Hawkheart." I looks at the tabby warrior, calmly washing his wounds.

"I-it couldn't have been! You were confused." I turn my back at her and Bramble-ear pads up.

"I'm sorry. I'll sit vigil with you." I numbly nod, and we settle down. I doze off with my muzzle pressed into my mother's cold fur.

I'm woken by a tail skimming my flank.  
"It's time to bury Yellowflower and Crow-wing." Bramble-ear murmurs. The remaining elder and Sagefur picks up Yellowflower, and Ivyheart is bending down to grab our mother's scruff. I run over and support her hindquaters. Her black tail drags on the ground, making a trail in the blood-stained dirt. The sky breaks open, and rain pours down,washing the cats and thier damaged home of the blood. I dig with Ivyheart until we have a hole the size of a grown cat. We lower her into the ground and push the earth back. By the time we get back into camp, I'm soaked to the bone. I press against Bramble-ear, for both warmth, and comfort. One of the only dens intact is the warrior's den, and we settle down in two empty nests with no scent, but fresh moss. I curl up and fall asleep.

_It's dark. Mudpelt hears the far off cry of her clanmates. The mist clears and it gets brighter. Crow-wing struggles feebly under the claws of a tabby warrior. Hawkheart? She hears the cries of pain from her clanmates, and their begging voices.  
"Mudpelt! Save us!"  
"My kits! Save my kits!"_

_"Mudpelt!" She shivers at Bramble-ear's wail. 'Take your pick. Your mother, or clanmates. You can give up your clan for your mother's life. Think wisely...' _I wake with a jolt, the voice still echoing in my head. _Think wisely... What's that supposed to be?_ Grey light filters in the breaks of the branches. I glance at my den-mate. I breifly wish he could be more than a den-mate. I decide to let Bramble-ear continue sleeping. I push my way out of the den, and notice the fresh-kill pile is gone. I pad out of camp and soon scent a mouse, and crouch. I spot it nibbling a seed, and I jump, killing it with a swift blow to the spine. I catch a blackbird and a vole, and go back to camp with the catch, starting the pile. I see Bramble-ear pushing through the den entrance, his tabby pelt rippling with spots me, and pads over, pressing his muzzle to mine.  
"Do you want to go... hunting?" I run my tail under his nose, purring.  
"Sure." We go into the forest and I easily catch a squirrel.

"Nice catch." He sounds distracted, and I turn, tipping my head.

"What's wrong?" He starts.

"Oh. Um, nothing." He pads towards me and rubs his muzzle along my cheek.

"I'm bored, let's do something else." I don't get what he means.

"We could go back to camp."

"Let's go somewhere..else." I finally get what he is getting at and purr.

"Where?" He runs into the forest.

"Follow and see!"

"Hey! That's not fair!" I run after him, dodging tree, until I catch up with him. He stands in a grassy clearing with flowers dotting it. I look up at the darkening sky, the first Moonclan warriors appearing._Crow-wing, can you see me? Are you up there?_ Bramble-ear licks my ear, guiding me to the center. I settle down on my back, looking the the skies. My companion's tabby fur blocks my view as he covers my face with licks. He continues to wash me, and he finds his way between my legs, licking me over and over again. I gasp, struggling under his paws. He looks up again.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No... Don't!" I gasp again as he continues. He suddenly stops again.

"Go into a hunter's crouch." He purrs. I obey, sweeping my tail out of the way, letting him take me. He postions himself on my back, and slowly enters me. I hiss in pain as his spikes rake my walls. He stops as I get used to the pain then he slowly continues.  
"Faster!" I moan. He obeys, quickening his pace, and I move my hips along with him. He releases and I soon follow him. We fall to the ground, panting, and I doze off pressed to Bramble-ear.

I wake up and sun is streaming into the warrior's den. No, I remeber last night, where Bramble-ear and I mated. I'm still beside him in the clearing. I wake him up and we wash each other. We head back to the camp, and is greeted with cats charging around, looking in dens. Ivyheart notices us, and stalks over.

"Where have you been?!" She hisses.

"We-"

"We have been looking all over the camp!"

"We wanted to get some fresh air." Bramble-ear calmly explains. Ivyheart narrows her eyes and turns.

"They're safe!' She calls. The cats stop and look up. Dawnstar pads over.

"I understand that you two want some... alone time" This causes purrs of amusement. "But your should have told someone. Just... don't do it again. We nod.

**3RD PERSON**

_(1 moon later.)_

Mudpelt yawns and settles down, waiting for the patrol to come back from the gathering so Ivyheart could tell her what happened. Mudpelt had been tired lately so she refused to go to the Gathering. All most all the warriors, including the newest, Grayfur, had gone, other than her and Leafbelly, who was resting from eating water-hemlock by accident.

Then se hears the sound of paws on the ground,and she sits up. Bramble-ear soon slips in behind Dawnstar. Blackheart follows and then the rest of the patrol. The warriors file in, and Ivyheart flops down.

"It wan't very exciting. Dawnstar did mention the battle, and Fishstar just stared at her." Whitebelly's whisper tickles her ear fur.

"I know why you didn't go to the Gathering." She looks at the tabby. Her white paws are tucked under her white chest. Her green eyes glint in the darkness.

"Your expecting kits!" She blinks.

"H-how do you know?"

"Honey, I've had a few littters of kits in my life. I know what a expecting queen looks like. Bramble-ear's the father, I presume?" She ducks her head.

"He is! I suggest you tell him. I told Hawkheart as soon as I knew." She remebers how Hawkheart killed her mother according to Ivyheart with a pang.

"You should tell Dawnstar and move into the nursery. It's been empty for moons." She continues. Mudpelt nods. She dozes off as Whitebelly rants on.

In the morning, she slips out of the den and stands infront of Dawnstar's den.

"Dawnstar?" She calls.

"Come in." She pads in the dim den.

"C-can I-"

"Move into the nursery? Yes."

"How do you know?"

"I've seen a expecting queen before, and had been one my self once. I'll get Tigerpaw to make a nest for you later." She nods.

"Oh, and Mudpelt?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Bramble-ear." She smiles and exits, looking around, spotting the tabby warrior beside the fresh-kill pile.  
"Bramble-ear!" He turns around at her call.

"Yes, Medpelt?" He looks up.

"I'm expecting kits!" He stares at her in surprise then purrs.


	4. Chapter 3

Shadowed Waters~Chapter 3

**MEDPELT POV**

I curl into my nest, my stomach bloated. Maplewhisker had said the kits were due at claw-moon, three sunrises away. Leafbelly had moved in with Patcheye's kits four sunrises ago. The thorny branches trembled and Bramble-ear pushes his way in with a sparrow in his mouth. He drops it at my paws.

"Eat it." It was scrawny like most of the prey on the pile, but leafbare was coming soon, so I wasn't surprised. I sniff it.

"Has the rest of the clan eaten?" I ask. I refuse to eat anything if the clan has empty bellies.

"You need your strengthfor your kitting. Our kits are due in four sunrises. Eat." I take a bite and gulp it down, relising how hungry I am. Bramble-ear licks the top of my head.  
"I got to go on border patrol." He murmurs, pushing his way out of the dim den. I drift off to sleep.

_"Mother!" A kit calls, pinned down by the same shadowed warrior from the dream all those moons ago. The clan calls again, cries of pain and grief. The voice echoes in her ear again._

_'The clan... or your family...' The kit is replaced by Bramble-ear, snapping at the warrior, growling._

I wake up gasping. The den is darker than before. I need fresh air, so I pull myself out of the den, groaning. I colapse on the ground. Fire-eye, the white she-cat who's face had been rampaged from a fire when she was an apprentice, and burned her eye, hurries over.

"Mudpelt, whats wrong?" A flash of pain rips throug my body, causing me to groan.

"I...think...kits...coming...needed...fresh..air...need...Maplewhisker." I pant. Fire-eye dashed to the rock where the medicine cats make their den. She stops by Sagefur who is sleeping by the entrance, and she jumps to her paws, and limps over. She had been attacked by a dog a moon ago, damaging both her hind legs, so it was painful to walk. Speaking of painful, I moan in pain as a ripple passes through my body. Sagefur reaches me and places a paw on my flank.

"Your doing well, Mudpelt, hang in there. Your going to have four kits." Her words hardly register, and I shudder in pain as Maplewhisker runs over with a bundle of herbs.

"Eat these. Their raspberry leaves and borage leaves." I lap them up as the first kit slides out. Cats have begun to poke their heads out of the dens.

"A she-kit! Three more to go!" Sagefur calls. Bramble-ear pushes his way out of the warrior's den.

"Mudpelt!"  
"Go and get a stick for her to clamp her jaws on." Maplewhisker orders, stopping the licking of my first-born. He dashes off to the camp wall. A second kit slides out to the ground.

"A tom!" The clan has gathered around in a raged circle by now. I groan in pain, and Bramble-ear comes back with a sturdy stick. I clamp down on the stick as another shudder passes through me. A thrid kit tumbles out with a thin cry. I groan through the stick as the three kits latch on to my belly.

"Another she-kit. Your almost done." I moan as the final kit slithers out, limp. Maplewhisker sniffs it, and I cane my neck.

"She's alive!" This causes sighs of relief.

"For now." Sagefur mutters. I look at my son and daughters. I register Bramble-ear's dragging me back to the nursery.

"My kits!" I call.  
"It's okay. Maplewhisker and Sagefur are bringing them in." They put them at my belly.

"What will you name them?"

"Hmm.." I point to the smallest kit, a black she-kit.

"Crowkit, after my mother." Then the big tabby tom

"Brackenkit, after my father's brother." Then my first-born, a ginger she-kit.  
"Umm.. Sunkit, after my father, and you can name the other."

"How about Mudkit, after their brave mother." He murmurs, touching his nose to my ear. the remaining kit was a brown tabby like me.

I look at him, happiness brimming my eyes.

"Do you think Mudkit will survive the night?" Mudkit was the last kit to be born.

"I do."_ Crow-wing, please don't take her. Please._ I lick all my kits in turn and drift off to sleep.

_"Mudpelt." Crow-wing stands with Mudkit at her paws._

_"I'm sorry. She couldn't have survived." _

_"No!" She runs over, buring her nose in her kit._

I snap awake. I nose my kits. _Just a dream, just a dream just a dream._ I repeat in my head. _Alive,alive,alive..._I nose Mudkit again.

"Come on..." I lick the tiny kit, hoping for it to cry out. I wail in grief as I nose her cold fur again.

"Mudkit!" I cry, throwing back my head. My three living kits stir, mewling. Whitebelly stirs.

"Whats wrong Medpelt?" She murmurs grogily.

"Mudkit! Mudkit won't wake up! Somethings wrong with her!" I refuse to accept she's..._dead_. Whitebelly gets up, nosing her.

"She's dead." I wail again.

"No! No, no, no, no, no! We need Maplewhisker!" I get up, ignoring the cries of protest from my kits, and grab Mudkit's scruff. I dimly register Whitebelly say something about watching my kits. I run to the medicine cat's den.

"Maplewhisker, theres something wrong with Mudkit. S-she's not answering me when I nose her, or anything." The ginger she-cat slides out, nosing the limp kit.

"I'm sorry, but Mudkit is dead. She couldn't breathe properly. She never could have survived." I wail, the sound seeming to belong to another cat, too high pitched. Cats poke their heads out of the dens. I lay my daughter in the middle of the clearing. Bramble-ear slips out and lies down next to it. Sometime near dawn I return to the nursery, and circle around my nest and lie down. Whitebelly puts my kits next to my belly, and they suckle greddily, their tiny paws kneading my stomach.

"There beautiful." She whispers. I numbly nod. Bramble-ear slides in as gray light filtersinto the den. I wail at the sight of him, paws muddy from burying our kit. He licks my ear. A tiny mewl sounds at my belly. "Why are you sad, mommy? I look down, shocked, to see little Crowkit looking up at me with big amber eyes. The first thing I feel is joy. Then sadness. I skim my tail over her flank.

"I'm just tired. Go to sleep, my sweet." _She opened her eyes!_

**A.N. I'm doing a seperate chapter on Fire-eye's past. I need more cats! Please reveiw with your cats! Here is the form: **

**Name:**

**Gender:**

**Rank:**

**Description:**

**Mate(Optional):**

**Other:**


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